Talent Management Practices and Intellectual Capital: Enhancing Innovativeness in the KwaZulu-Natal Automotive Sector

The study examined the complex interactions between talent management practices, intellectual capital, and innovation in the South African automotive industry. The study aimed to understand the variables that affect talent management strategies and intellectual capital, and how those variables influenced innovation. The main objective was to offer insights that might boost competitive advantage, encourage growth, and support the region's automakers' recuperation and long-term viability thereby providing guidance for management to consider the changing technological environment and industry dynamics. In-depth interviews were used to record participants’ viewpoints and experiences. The academic significance of this study will expand understanding the link and relation of how the practices in talent management influence intellectual capital and how the dimensions of human capital influence innovation. This research maps out which approaches are valuable for organisations within the automotive industry using learnings from Company X as a case study. In doing so, the study will furnish ways in which best-practices in the talent management process can be designed effectively and which methods of intellectual capital can foster an innovative organisational culture. The research design, participant selection, data collection procedures, and analytic techniques such as constant comparison and thematic analysis constituted the study’s methodology. The qualitative case study approach offered a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the subject matter, while also acknowledging its inherent limits. The results highlighted the importance of talent management in fostering an atmosphere that encourages original thought and value to existing research. The study recommends organisations critically assess their current strategies, focus on areas in need of development, and leverage the company’s existing competencies. Relevant recommendations were presented regarding talent management, intellectual capital, and innovation considering the context of the KwaZulu-Natal's automotive industry as the region’s and industry’s diverse past and approaches, influence talent management practices.

The conversation on organisational practices is enriched by the areas that have been highlighted for improvement, as well as by the emphasis placed on the value of creative cultures and people management techniques. The study highlights the need for a more thorough investigation of talent management dynamics within the broader framework of the automotive industry. This study also shows that human, structural, and relational factors all play important roles and have a tremendous impact that intellectual capital has on value creation and performance. With Company X’s highly qualified workforce and culture of ongoing improvement, Company X serves as an example of how good people management promotes innovation. This study establishes the groundwork for further research, encouraging ongoing innovation and enhancement of organisational procedures.